Friday, June 29, 2012

As a girl,
I consider it my sacred duty to look gorgeous... 90% of the time. Why not 100%,
you may ask? Well, because that extra 10% is spent in looking absolutely
horrendous (one of my friends described it aptly when she said "Iike a
swamp monster") in order to look even better later.

I'm talking,
of course, about the application of beauty products. Who amongst us has never
tried applying a facial? They're fun, easy, and painless. (Well, mostly.) Here
are some I like using!

Hair

As a
natural blonde (mostly) sometimes I find my colour getting a little dull. In
order to brighten myself up, I use one of these two solutions.

Honey- Wet hair. Towel dry (so that it's
not dripping) and apply a thick coat of honey from roots to ends. (The amount
necessary depends on how much hair you have; I use around 3 tablespoons.) Leave
for approximately an hour (or until your hair is mostly dry) then wash out.
(Put in lots of conditioner afterwards- you might be feeling a little dry.)

Lemon
juice- Squeeze juice from a lemon. Apply to hair. (I
use around 1.) Go outside (in the sun) and let it dry; wash out. (Like the
honey, it's drying, so use extra conditioner.)

Afterwards,
you might want to try this!

Avocado
mask: Mash up 1/2
an avocado. Add 1 egg and 1/4 cup olive oil. Apply to damp hair. Let sit for
1/2 an hour (or so...) then wash out. (This is best if your hair is already
dry, otherwise it might get a bit greasy.)

Face

I have
fairly oily skin, so I like to do one of these once or twice a week to reduce
it. Always apply lotion after so you don't get too dried out!

Strawberry:
Mash up a strawberry
(or two, depending on the size) and mix in a drop or two of honey. Apply to
face; let dry for approximately 10 minutes, and wash off. (Be warned: you'll
look like a burn victim. Also, don't go outside- bugs quite appreciate it. This
one is drying, and good for acne-prone or oily skin.)

Oatmeal: Grind a teaspoon of oatmeal. Mix in
a teaspoon of plain yogurt and a few drops of honey. Apply to face; let dry for
around 20 minutes, then wash off. (Feels nice and refreshing, although you'll
look like all the skin on your face is flaking off... Here's a picture:

Gorgeous,
isn't it?)

Orange
peel: I buy orange
peel power like this:

...mix in a
bit of water, and apply it to my face. This one truly gives you the swamp
monster look!

Let dry, and once it's cracky and flaky, wash off. It's quite drying, and your face is red for a few hours afterwards, but it's also very cleansing.

Tomato: So, okay, this one isn't really a
mask... Just take either a slice or one baby tomato and rub it all over your
face. Let dry (around 10 minutes) and wash off. (Don't the seeds fall in your eyes!)

Peel: This one's good if your skin feels
extremely dirty. Take 1 tablespoon of Knox gelatin (make sure it's fresh,
otherwise this won't work!) and mix in 1 teaspoon of water. Heat it in the
microwave for 10 seconds. Stir. Apply to face with makeup sponge (not one
you're planning on using again, obviously) then let sit. Peel once it feels a
little drier, but not completely dry. (This part is SO MUCH FUN! However, I
stress again, don't leave it too long or put on too thin a coat, because then
it HURTS.) You can also use Jello to make a sugar scrub.

And, just
so that your body is nice and clean too:

Exfoliating
Body Scrub

1/3 cup
brown sugar

1 tablespoon
vanilla (or other scent)

2
tablespoons olive oil (or other oil)

(This smells- and will make you smell- extremely dessert-like. Even knowing the contents, I was tempted to eat a spoonful.)

And that's
the end of it! Easy and cheap recipes, made with everyday ingredients. Have you
ever done any of these? What kind of beauty tips and tricks do you use?

Thursday, June 28, 2012

(Okay, it
took me several tries to type that... Fail.) It's a pretty scary word, isn't
it? After all, the world is supposed to end in a few months... DOES THIS MEAN
THAT MY DREAMS OF A JET-PACK HELMET WILL NEVER HAPPEN?

...probably.
But that aside, ten years ago (and why am I even choosing ten? BECAUSE IT'S THE
BEST NUMBER!) did I think I would be who I am now? HECK NO. I thought I would
be a paleontologist. OR a vet. (Both dealing with dead animals. Hmm... not
morbid at all.) (And yes, when I was six, I did think that I'd have a job like
that at 16. Things like university and debt had yet to enter my innocent little
mind... I miss those days.)

My point
here is (yes, I do have a point, surprise surprise) the future is a tricksy
thing. Who knows where we'll be in ten more years? Will the world even exist?
Maybe it truly will end. Maybe it'll get colonised by dinosaurs- we'll have
switched places! There'll be a giant meteor and the remaining humans will all
have to learn to do the velociraptor dance (which can be found here) in order
to survive.

(Side note:
I really want a dinosaur hat right now... SHOPPING TRIP! Because last time I
sewed- my beautiful kitty skirt, here- I nearly bled to death. Not fun. Does
anyone have a dinosaur hat they want to send me? I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER. I
should've bought this one in Niagara Falls when I had the chance:

Isn't it
cute? Next time!)

A dinosaur
colonisation would be exciting, but the sad reality is that I'll probably be a
crazy cat lady. Sigh. (Again, aforementioned kitty skirt... I'm prepared. At
least I'll be a cute crazy cat lady.) OMG maybe cats will take over the world!
Even better- they'll love me, and I won't have to worry about being eaten
because I'm vegetarian... mosquitoes avoid me, and thus they would too.
(Logical correlation? OF COURSE!)

...wait a
second. Maybe techno music is what all music in the future will be. MAYBE IT'S
CALLS FROM A FUTURE CIVILISATION! That's why so many people dislike it- their
brains have yet to decipher the complexities.

IT'S SECRET
DINOSAUR LANGUAGE, PEOPLE.

IT ALL
MAKES SENSE NOW.

Oh, and just because I love linkups (and so that more people can see the dinosaur light):

For those
of you who don't know, manga is a Japanese story-telling form; a novel told
mainly through drawings, which are done in a specific style- big eyes, slightly
disproportionate figures... In general, the storylines and characters are also
very dramatic and humorous... or very dark. They're nice summer reads because
the books are small, quick reads (2 chapters takes me around 15 minutes to
read, feel free to calculate the approximate amount of time I spent reading...)
and, even if you can't find the book, there are tons of translation sites
online.

However,
if you decide to read an entire series online like me, beware! You might end up
looking like this:

Monday, June 25, 2012

Although
school is over (and thus the source of many of my odd experiences has run dry)
there's no need to worry- as long as my mother is around, I will have plenty of
fodder for my blog. Whether she's dancing in the middle of the road or simply
getting dressed, rest assured that much eye-rolling and chocolate will be
necessary to heal my humiliation. (Love you, Mum!)

What did
she do this time? She decided that we needed to go on a quest.

Were there
dragons?

Cute! But
NO.

Damsels in
distress, however? Of course!

(Yours truly was
along for the ride. Do you even need to ask?)

Really,
though, the most important question- were there knights in shining armour?
(Possibly cuter...) NO. Not even. Just
old bronze statues of prime minsters... and let's just say that none of them
were stunners even when they weren't made of metal.

Okay, so
there was a little bit of danger- that of being hit by a particularly violent
raindrop as we skipped along, attempting to decipher the clues we'd been given. It was like a scavenger hunt, with a combo of
prime ministers (we got to admire those gorgeous statues further) and
directions- really, does anyone know which prime minster believed in human
rights or which direction lies north? Does anyone care?

Well, be that as it may, we eventually got to the end of it... then promptly went to eat dinner, despite having eaten innumerable Larabars while walking. (Is there a correlation there? I have no idea.) I'm just glad I managed not to get lost...although this was probably just becasue we were walking so slowly. What kinds of weird activities do you do with your family?

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Several of you have mentioned that you wanted to see my prom photos. Well, after much sleep and recovery time, I am here to fulfill that deep-seated desire. (Wouldn't want to disappoint anyone! Plus, it was pretty epic.)

Be warned- photo-heavy post ahead!

The gorgeous cupcakes my friend and I (...ok, mostly my friend) made the day before for the graduating students. (You know it's a small school when...)

Okay, so we were a little bit late... but we still found time to take a few glamour shots!

Bust a move and do the cha-cha! (You can totally see my amazing dance skills here.)

What do you do during awkward slow dances? Take glamour shots in the bathroom, of course. (Obviously, I was a model in another life.)

This is me and my 'date' for the evening- as you can see, we were the most gorgeous girls there. (No one else can compare to our beauty!)

Girls in black- assassins, spies, or simply fashionable? (Good thing there were so many slow dances, or else you'd never get to ponder the question.)

Once we were bored with the photo potential of the bathroom, we headed outside to take yet more glamourous shots. (Sadly, in none of these can you see my shoes... they were truly killer.)

And the after-party begins! Here I am, with some other wonderful girls, just chilling outside while trying to remain alive. (Those mosquitoes were pretty vicious! Thankfully they don't seem to care for my weak vegetarian blood.)

Why sign a yearbook when you can sign someone's chest...right?

Inhaling helium= FUNNIEST. THING. EVER. (And legal, too.)

The morning after about two hours of sleep... we may have been too tired to move, but at least the hammock was delightfully comfortable! (I have so many pictures of people sitting there... maybe even more than the glamour bathroom shots!)

And there you have it. It was a wonderful night, dearest readers... Now I simply can't wait for next year, to do it all again. (And actually have the excitement of knowing I get to leave this place!) How were your proms? Do you remember them, or have they yet to pass?

(And I will admit... plenty of other things happened too... but the question is, are they blog-appropriate? Hmmm.)

Friday, June 22, 2012

Dear rhubarb...
I hate to tell you, but you're one of the least attractive plants out there.
Huge stalks, enormous leaves, no flowers... Strike one, two, three, you should
be out- except you make such delicious desserts! (Or really, even just a snack
you're quite tasty.) So, when I discovered that you had spread once more...
what better to do than make a delicious cobbler?

Strawberry-Rhubarb
Cobbler

Filling

2 1/2 cups
chopped rhubarb

3 cups
strawberries (I used frozen, but fresh would be wonderful)

1/4 cup
honey

1 tbsp
vanilla

Crumble

1 cup oats

1/2 cup
whole-wheat flour

2 scoops
protein powder (optional)

1/4 cup
plain yogurt

1/3 cup
partially melted butter

1/3 cup
honey

1.Preheat oven to 400.

2.Combine filling ingredients in pan.

3.Mix oats, flour and protein powder in
medium-sized bowl.

4.Mix in yogurt, then honey, then butter. (Now
that I type it, I realise that this could probably actually all be done at
once.)

5.Put crumble on top of fruit.

6.Bake for approximately 20 minutes.

And there
you have it- a delicious, easy and healthy lunch! (Or breakfast, or whatever.) If
you wanted to make it a little more 'desserty', you could add cream or vanilla ice
cream. (Or even just more sugar. As you can tell, I like it when the rhubarb is still very tart.)

What's your
opinion on rhubarb? Would you try making this?

Oh, and
this is also my entry for the wonderful linkup over on Jenny Matlock's blog! (Thank you, dearest rhubarb, for making this possible.)

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

How should
I feel about this? No idea. Right now I'm torn between "so tired I'd like
to fall over and sleep for a week" and "PARTY! WHOOT WHOOT!" I'm
sure that, soon enough, it'll all kick in and I'll be sad. Soon. Just not
today. Or tomorrow. Or... all summer. Probably not until I have mountains of
homework from my grade 12 classes.

Anyway. All
nostalgia aside, this was a pretty eventful year! Now, I'll share with you some
of the highlights.

·Ate countless protein bars. (Yes, this is a highlight. At least it's a
relatively healthy addiction!)

·Discovered a love for old movies. (His Girl
Friday! Grease! Some Like It Hot! Anyone else love these?)

·Wrote. A lot. (Blog, novel, essays, poetry,
emails... you name it, I wrote it.)

·Read. Even more. (All of the above, times 500.)

·Discovered that physics is both awful and a
potential flirting tool. (Everything has a bright side.)

·Wore bright, bold and wonderful makeup.
(Especially blue mascara!)

·Flirted... and was occasionally flirted with in
return. (The excitement mounts!)

·Yelled at people. (Mostly because of yearbook
committee, as I mentioned in this post.)

Plus,
miracle of miracles, today was Beach Day and I didn't get a sunburn- life is
good. (I got to wear sparkly sunscreen! And look like a pretty little faerie!
So exciting.) What kinds of fun happened in your 'years'? How is life today?

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Joining up again on the super-fun linkup
over at Chalk in the Rain! Hopefully this can help me reassure myself that I
really am normal after all.

(Okay… so this is partially because my
brain is too fried to think up another post. Whatever. It's nearly summer… I have exams… THAT is
totally normal.)

1. Is it normal to drive 5 mph over the
speed limit? 10 mph? Not saying I do this *cough cough* but it's definitely normal,
especially for new drivers who have less skill at determining the speed… haha,
everyone around here drives at least that much over on the highway! (Some people go up to 20 or 30... so if
you're coming to visit, watch out.)

2. Is it normal to pick a wedgie in
public? Slightly… sometimes there's nothing else
you can do… as long as you conceal it. Please don't announce it to the room- TMI,
along with your bladder habits.

3. Is it normal to put makeup on even if
you aren't planning on leaving the house? I do
this! But then I regret it, and immediately call friends so that they can see
how great l look. I'd say it's normal if you want to try out a new look… but
not normal to do it 'just because'.

4. Is it normal to go skinny dipping? Depends on the situation. If it's late at night, in a lake, okay… if
it's the middle of the night in your neighbours' pool, not so much.

5. Is it normal to use the restroom
while on the phone? That thought grosses me out
quite a bit. I have NO DESIRE to learn any more about your bladder habits,
people! (I even mentioned it above. Twice in one post… you know it's a strong
belief!)

6. Is it normal to check yourself out
when passing by a window/mirror? When you're as gorgeous as I am, of course!

However… know the difference. One of my
friends did this when passing by (what she thought was) a mirror… only to
discover it was a window after all and that there were people inside who had been
watching her the entire time. (This happened at the same time as this photo shoot! It was apparently an ill-fated day.)

7. Is it normal to keep folded laundry
in the basket instead of putting it away? Of
course! Seriously, who has enough time to put away laundry right away? (If you
do, please go have fun. Right now. Doctor's orders.)

8. Is it normal to turn & walk the
opposite direction when seeing someone you know in a store? Ducking down other aisles? Picking up something that doesn't
interest you and scrutinizing it carefully? OH YES. If you don't know them
well, it's far better to avoid the awkwardness… although sometimes it merely
creates more, when they catch up to you and ask "Were you running away from
me?" (Put that on the list of questions never to ask.)

9. Is it normal to drink coffee/soda
from a straw? Coffee- I would be worried to have
the straw melt in my drink and cause an odd plastic-y flavour. Soda, though,
I'd say yes. (Particularly if said straw is made of licorice!)

10. Is it normal to hover the toilet in
a public restroom? Definitely! Who knows what kinds
of things may lurk there?

So what do you think? Am I normal? Do you do the same kinds of things?

Oh, and just to prove I didn't completely abandon Favourite Tuesdays... here is a song I love, love, love. (This is actually my favourite song of all time... we're married, every other song is a mere fling.)

What do you think of it? (If you don't like it... I might cry a little bit... just a little. But I'm sure I'll manage to survive.)

Monday, June 18, 2012

Exams are a
time of much stress. Everywhere I look, there are people muttering the laws of
physics, the history of self-portraits or the body parts of horses to
themselves with a crazed look in their eyes. Binders are clutched to chests as
though they're the only thing saving them from drowning. (Although really it's
the opposite... people are drowning in too many notes!) Papers fly like
snowflakes as the search begins for that all-important revision list.

Am I
describing myself? Not at all. I am perfectly zen. (This may have more to do
with my feeling that summer has already begun and that none of this matters
than how prepared I am, but hey, whatever works!) How do I manage this, you ask?
Well, without further ado, here's my exam survival guide!

·DON'T drink a lot of water beforehand. Yes, it's important to stay
hydrated... but when you have to pee four minutes into a three-hour exam,
there's a problem.

·DO eat a big breakfast. This is really for other peoples'
sakes. There are few things more annoying than listening to someone's stomach
growling. (Unless it's someone sniffing.)

Friday, June 15, 2012

Today was my first exam. It was harder than I expected (read: I actually had to think! Who does that during an exam?) and I am now entirely braindead... so instead of actually writing something (I also have the worst hand cramp right now) I decided to post all sorts of pictures I found hilarious! (A great way to kick off the weekend, right?)

YES. It's so true. (Like, putting my entire hand down on a stove to check if it was hot yet. Sound in theory, not so much in practice.)

This is why you never ask "Why are you so quiet?"

Yes. ALL THE TIME. What they're fixing, I have no idea.

Okay, so sterotyping is bad... but also, in this case, quite funny.

This isn't a joke, guys. It's because we are! (Just kidding! Or am I...)

So true. (I bet you really want to come visit now!)

Repeat this in an awful Australian accent. I guarantee you'll laugh!

All. The. Time. Why does it look so small when uncooked? How does that work?

Is that song in your head now?

Best. Show. Ever. And this picture just describes it so well! (That might be a little bit sad.)

Well, I hope that some of these at least made you chuckle, and were a nice start to the weekend! (If you recognise some of these... it might be because I saw them first on your blog.) Anyone else have any funny pictures to share?

Thursday, June 14, 2012

I made my first DIY clothing project when I was about ten or so. It was the cutest little shrug, and I couldn't wait to wear it. As soon as I got home from my friends' house, I put it on with the hugest grin on my face. I thought I looked absolutely adorable!

However, other people had other ideas. Namely,my father.As soon as he saw me, he burst out laughing and said, "They're shirtless sleeves!"

I never wore that little shrug again.

All this to explain why I rarely do DIY clothing projects. (Now you know the secret trauma of my childhood.That and once being forced to drink an entire glass of milk-the horror!) However, when I saw this darling little kitty skirt over at Scathingly Brilliant, I knew I had to make it and show all of you wonderful readers how I decided to make it.

Materials: Black, white and red felt, a plain black skirt, a needle and thread, and two buttons. (Note that the colours of all of these things can be changed, depending on what colour you want your cat to be.)

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

For the second time, I'm linking up with the wonderful Allyce over at Chalk in the Rain for the "...is that normal?!" linkup!

Are you intrigued? Wondering what kind of 'normal' fits into my definition? If so, read on!

1.
Is it normal to pretend you didn't already know about someone/something
via Facebook when it comes up in a "real life" conversation with that
person? Well… I kinda do this all the time… because
it's embarrassing to admit that you've stalked someone on Facebook. (You know
you've done it too!) So, I'll have to vote normal.

2.
Is it normal to "fart and walk away?" If you say you've never done this, you're totally lying. DON'T DENY
IT.

3.
Is it normal to spy on your neighbors? Of
course it is! Curiosity is only human. (Or cat-like…)

Confession: if there were cute boys who
lived near me, I would totally spy on them. Not in a creepy,
oh-I-don't-know-how-I-happened-to-be-on-your-roof way… I'm not quite that
weird… but in a oh-hi-I-just-happened-to-be-walking-by way. (I can't be the
only one, admit it!)

4.
Is it normal to read your boyfriend's/husband's texts? I don't think so. Relationships should be based on trust… and if you
feel you have to read your partner's private messages, then it's just not
there. (Look at me, being all mature!)

5.
Is it normal to compulsively check social media for notifications? Sometimes- like when you have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING else to do- but in
general I would say no. The real world is much more exciting! Go outside and
play in the rain!

6. Is it normal for a 20-something women
to listen to Rap/Hip Hop? Not being a 20-something
woman, I wouldn't know… but why wouldn't it be? Listen to whatever you like!
(However, if you're going to listen to screamo or country, please do it when
I'm not around.)

7.
Is it normal to take toiletries from a hotel? Isn't that what they're there for? You paid for the room, you paid
for the products.

8.
Is it normal for your cat/dog to sleep in your bed? Sure! I personally don't sleep with my cats because they wake me up
all the time (is it really necessary for you to howl like you're dying in the
middle of the night? I DON'T THINK SO) but they are fun to cuddle with.

9.
Is it normal to taste test grapes out of the bag at the grocery store? This seems useless to me. Just look at them! Are they brown and
squishy? If so, don't buy them. Simple as that.

10.
Is it normal for men to shape their eyebrows? I don't think it's quite normal… but I do think some guys could
really use it, so maybe it should be.

And… a special bonus question that is all
mine.

11. Is it normal to name your guitar
after a Jane Austen hero? Well… I did… but I don't
think that makes it exactly normal! In case anyone was wondering, Tilney comes
from Henry Tilney of Northanger Abbey. (If you haven't read it, you definitely
should!)